Vegan Creamy Spaghetti Squash Bake with Broccoli, Chard, and Chickpeas
Insanely comforting, creamy, and “cheesy” spaghetti squash bake that’s packed with veggies, greens, and legumes for an indulgent-tasting yet very nourishing meal! Loaded with 8 different plant foods to fuel you up with loads of fiber, protein, and nutrients.
While shopping at the Park Slope Food Co-op the other day, my eyes drifted for a moment before landing on a box full of spaghetti squash. I didn’t really know what I wanted to do with it, but I knew I wanted to buy it, and I wanted to pair it with broccoli. Then, my thoughts moved quickly to the classic broccoli cheese combo, and I dreamed up a vision of a creamy and “cheesy” baked casserole-style dish. But, because I can’t resist taking classic comfort foods and adding extra nutritious ingredients, I added in chickpeas (protein boost!) and chard (dark leafy greens are nutritional powerhouses!), both of which pair wonderfully with spaghetti squash and broccoli to create a comforting winter bake. Topped with breadcrumbs for some crispy textured bits, my vision was finally coming together! What had started as a vague notion of spaghetti squash transformed itself into an ultra-satisfying creamy and crispy bake!
Why You’ll Love this Bake
Creamy, indulgent, and comforting. This bake is pure comfort food! Think: rich, creamy, slightly “cheesy,” and insanely warming on a cold winter night. Serve it alongside a glass of wine for some ~*extra*~ comforting vibes.
Packs plant variety to fuel gut health! Without counting any of the spices, there are 8 different plant foods in this bake - broccoli, spaghetti squash, chard, chickpeas, cashews, nutritional yeast, garlic, and bread crumbs. That’s almost a quarter of the way to the recommended weekly goal of eating 30-40+ different plants for a healthy gut microbiome!
Loaded with nutritious plant foods. Legumes? Check - chickpeas. Vegetables? Check - spaghetti squash and broccoli. Dark leafy greens? Check - chard. Complete protein containing all 9 amino acids? Check - nutritional yeast. Despite the indulgent flavor from the creamy cashew-based sauce, this dish is full of nutritious ingredients (each of which is loaded with vitamins, protein, and fiber!), making it a much more nourishing version of traditional creamy casseroles!
Protein rich. You probably already know that chickpeas and cashews are rich in protein (legumes and nuts generally contain lots of protein!). But did you know that broccoli and nutritional yeast are also protein powerhouses? Nutritional yeast packs 7 grams of complete protein (meaning it contains all 9 essential amino acids!) in just ¼ cup, so it adds over 31 grams of protein to this bake. Broccoli adds another 15 grams, chickpeas another 21, and cashews contribute 26 more. That’s 93 grams of protein total from just these four plant foods (plus even more from the spaghetti squash and chard)!
Meal-prep friendly. You can roast the squash ahead of time to cut down on your total cooking time. Or you can even prep all the components, assemble the bake, and stick that in the fridge until whenever you need a quick meal but don’t want to cook - just top with breadcrumbs, bake, and serve!
Ingredient Overview
Spaghetti squash. The base ingredient in this bake! Spaghetti squash, when cooked, naturally has a spaghetti-like texture that pairs well with the creamy sauce and bits of broccoli florets, chickpeas, and greens.
Broccoli. For a boost of cruciferous vegetables that pairs perfectly with spaghetti squash!
Chickpeas. To add in some legumes and give the bake an extra protein boost!
Chard. I try to incorporate greens as much as possible - they’re tasty and just so good for you! Chard works especially well with spaghetti squash, chickpeas, and broccoli, but if you can’t find it, dino kale would be the best substitute.
Cashews, nutritional yeast, garlic, and spices for the creamy sauce. This bake blends cashews and water to create an insanely creamy sauce, with garlic for some zing and nutritional yeast to add that “cheesy” element (plus salt and spices to flavor)! There’s a lot of nutritional yeast in there (over a cup!), and on its own, the sauce will be overpowering - this is on purpose! Spaghetti sauce tones down the flavor of the sauce a lot, so once the two are combined, the end result will be balanced.
Breadcrumbs. Tossed with a bit of olive oil and salt to add a perfectly satisfying crispy topping to the bake!
Creamy Spaghetti Squash Bake with Broccoli, Chard, and Chickpeas
Vegan, gluten-free
Serves 6
Ingredients
Roasted Spaghetti Squash:
1 medium spaghetti squash (weighing about 3.5 lbs)
Olive oil, Kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper
Breadcrumb Topping:
¾ cup breadcrumbs*
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Sautéed Bake Mix:
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 cups small-cut broccoli florets (from about 2-3 broccoli crowns)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 bunch chard, thick stems discarded then sliced in half lengthwise and roughly chopped into strips
1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas (or 1 15.5-ounce can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed)
Cheesy Cashew Sauce:
1 cup raw cashews, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes
1 cup + 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (yes, that much!)
¾ cup water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
6 garlic cloves
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Few cracks of freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Roast the spaghetti squash: Pre-heat the oven to oven to 400°F. Cut the spaghetti in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and any loose ribbing. Drizzle a bit of olive oil and sprinkle on a generous amount of Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place the spaghetti squash halves cut side down onto a baking sheet and roast until the spaghetti squash is cooked but on the firm side (the “strands” should be al dente), about 30-35 minutes. Remove from oven, flip the squash halves over so that they’re cut side up and let cool. Once the squash is cool enough to handle, use a fork to pull the strands horizontally. Scoop the cooked squash into a large bowl and set aside.
After the spaghetti squash is done roasting, turn the oven temperature down to 375°F.
While the spaghetti squash roasts, soak the cashews in hot water and begin preparing the breadcrumb topping, sautéed veggies/chard/chickpea mix, and cashew cream sauce.
For the breadcrumb topping: In a small bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs, olive oil, and salt. Set aside.
For the sautéed broccoli, chard, and chickpea mix: In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Once warm, add the broccoli florets along with a generous sprinkling of Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper and sauté about 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the broccoli florets start turning bright green. Add in the chard in batches and continue sautéing, while stirring frequently, until the chard begins wilting, about 1-2 minutes. When the chard is nearly done, add in the chickpeas to warm through.
For the cheesy cashew sauce: Drain the cashews of their soaking water and add them to a high-powered blender with the remaining sauce ingredients (nutritional yeast through ground black pepper) and blend on high until a cream sauce forms (about 1.5-2 minutes), pausing to scrape down the sides as needed.
Assemble the bake: To the large bowl with the spaghetti squash strands, add the sauteed broccoli/chard/chickpea mixture and cheesy cashew sauce and use a rubber spatula to stir until combined. Transfer the mix to a 9’x13’ pan or two 9-inch round baking dishes. Top with the prepared breadcrumb topping.
Bake at 375°F until warmed through and the breadcrumb topping starts browning, about 20 minutes if using the two round baking dishes or 25-30 minutes if using a 9’x13’ baking dish. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
*Use gluten-free breadcrumbs to make this dish gluten-free.
If you try this plant-packed bake, I’d love to hear from you! Drop a comment/review below and tag me on Instagram (@teostinykitchen) so I can see your delicious bake!